Let Your Past, Be Past

I want to tell you 2 stories as a guide for our thoughts. Both of them are true. The first one goes all the way back to the early 1920s and comes out of the US, in Chicago. There was a man who was called Easy Eddie, who was the defense attorney for Al Capone, one of the most powerful gangsters in the Chicago area at that time. Everything went through him and a lot of crime was on the streets because of him. The federal government was trying very hard to put him away, but each time, Easy Eddie would find some loophole and get him out.

 

This went on for a long time and Easy Eddie had "a wonderful life"; he had a house the size of a block, completely fenced in, with live-in help, and so on. He also had a son, and as time went on, he realized that while he could give his son everything materially that his son could want in life, the one thing that he couldn't give was a good name. This was because Easy Eddie was known as Al Capone's lawyer.

 

As his son grew, so did Easy Eddie's conscience. Finally, he went to the Feds and told them that he would find a way to help them to bring down Al Capone. And they did. The IRS came in and they were able to put him away. Easy Eddie had, as you would expect, a tragic end to his life. He was shot in an alley and killed. That was his life.

 

The second story is about a Lieutenant Commander Edward O'Hare. As a young pilot, he was flying in World War 2, and got a message that there were 9 enemy fighter aircraft bombers that were coming towards the USS Lexington. So he and his wingman went up and, just as they were engaging with these fighter aircraft bombers, the wingman's gun jammed. Edward O'Hare took on these 9 aircraft and shot down 5 of them and hurt another one, so that it also had to return to base. He came back a hero. He was given the Congressional Medal of Honor. Many people talked about the valor of that day and how brave he had been to take it on single-handedly.

 

Unfortunately he died young. He died at the age of 29; in fact, he was shot down a year after that incident. But his city couldn't forget what he had done. In fact, if you fly into Chicago today, you'll find that the airport is named after him – it's the O'Hare Airport.

 

Well, what's the connection between these 2 stories? Lieutenant Commander Edward O'Hare was Easy Eddie's son. And as I thought about those 2, two thoughts came to me and I want to share them with you. The first is: it's never too late to do the right thing. Today, the right thing for you and me may not be doing something like what Easy Eddie did like turning in his boss because he was a gangster. But it could be that there are things that are going on that are wrong, not only around you, but within you as well. It could be that you are involved with something; there's anger that is spoiling the very harmony of a home. Or other things like addictions, alcoholism, addictive behaviors that you know are not right. And yet you know that it's not helping your family. Maybe today's a good day to say, "That's a good story and I am inspired by it. Maybe I should put an end to the wrong that is in my life and do the right thing."

 

Our Scriptures say that God is light and in Him there is no darkness. I always say that if we move away from the darkness, that is, those areas that are wrong, and come to the place of right, then the Almighty God is able to work with us and is in our corner.

 

The second point that I want to leave with you is: Don't let your past define your present or shape your future. It doesn't matter what kind of a past you've had, don't let it, in any way, define the things that you do in your present or in any way mold your future. That is in your hands. Just as Edward O'Hare, the son of the attorney to a gangster was able to come out and do something worthwhile with his life. You and I also can do that, regardless of our past – what kind of an upbringing we've had, whether it was bad, or had a rough time growing up, there was no money. Whatever it is, today you are in charge of shaping your future and grasping the present and writing a brand new story.

 

There's a beautiful song that I love that goes like this:

 

I know who holds the future,

And I know He holds my hand;

With God things don't just happen;

Everything by Him is planned.

So as I face tomorrow

With its problems large and small.

I'll trust the God of miracles,

I'll give to Him my all!

 

I think if we give Him our lives and say, "Lord, You show me how I can take my present with all its problems and situations, and the things of the past that are trying to impinge upon the present." He will help you shape your life and give you a wonderful beginning that is removed from some of the harsh things of the past.

 

So 2 thoughts:

·       It's never too late to do the right thing.

·       Don't let your past define your present or shape your future.

 

May I pray with you? Almighty God, for each one who reads this post, bring to mind those things that may be wrong in our lives that we need to right. Give us the moral conviction to do what is right in our lives. For those who have had a terrible past, who just have everything stacked against them and feel that the past is eroding their present – Lord, put a full-stop to it. Let them know that with You at their side, they can write their present that is beautiful and good that will shape a wonderful future for them. Bless each one, Master, in Your name and under Your authority, Lord Jesus. Amen.

 

•       https://www.truthorfiction.com/butchandeddie/

•       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_J._O%27Hare

Feeling Ridiculed?

I wonder whether you have ever been the object of ridicule, whether you have been at the receiving end of mockery, where people who have a little more power than you have, have scorned, or ridiculed, or mocked your work or just who you are, tried to diminish you or belittle you and throw you off your game. Sometimes these things happen in our workplaces with people who may be a little better with words, or hold a little more power, or want to control the situation. Thinking about it, I thought that it's an area that we need to be prepared for because it's there. But also because we need to know how to handle it when it does come.

 

"Ridicule," as Madeline L'Engle says, "is a terrible witherer of the flower of imagination. It binds us where we should be free." So true! It can just make us wither and lose any sense of wanting to do anything creative or imaginative. Where there should be freedom, there is a sense of binding. The meaning for ridicule is the subjection of someone, or something, to contentious and dismissive language or behavior.

 

All of us, at some point or the other, have faced this kind of contempt that leads to us being almost dismissed. I thought that it might be something to maybe open ourselves up to and see if we are in that situation. How do I walk through this? What do I need to do that will be an encouragement for me?

 

I was reading a blog by Ray Higden. He talks about a few people who were ridiculed earlier on in their career or their youth, but who made it. It was said about Richard Branson: "He was shortsighted and dyslexic but he was considered to be stupid or lazy." We know Richard Branson today, and how he has built his empire in Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Airlines.

 

He talks about George Foreman, who at 38 years old, wanted to come back and fight as a boxer to raise money for a youth center that was just outside Houston, Texas. Everybody laughed at him. In fact, his comeback fight in Sacramento drew laughter and boos for how slow he was. He hadn't boxed for 10 years. He was 38 years old, but he kept on training and losing weight. Finally, 7 years later, he became the heavyweight champion of the world.

 

Elvis Presley was kicked out of the Grand Ole Opry in 1954. They told him to stick to his day job of driving trucks.

 

The beautiful classic, 'Gone With The Wind' was rejected by 38 publishers before it finally got green-lighted.

 

All of these people, authors, boxers, corporate entrepreneurs, faced some form of ridicule. And yet, it seems from their lives, that they never allowed it to diminish or belittle the things that they wanted to do. It's worth just pressing pause in our day, today actually, and ask the question: Am I being ridiculed? Is there scorn that is directed towards me? If there is, then what do I do? How do I face it? I want to leave with you, four things that I believe will help you navigate through these choppy waters.

 

1.     Have perseverance. Be tenacious and don't give up. I may have mentioned before that, in our family, we love boxers (the dog breed). We've had 2 boxers and still have one. I remember playing with our first one, Buddy. He had a little rope toy that I would dangle above him and he would jump up and catch it and would then just lock his jaw around it. I could pull as hard as I tried, and he wouldn't let go. In fact, I could pull him off the ground. That's the kind of tenacity I think we always need to have in times of difficulty – to persevere, not give up and to just hold on and say: I'm going to get through this.

 

2.     Have a thick skin. We need to let all of these thoughts, words that come our way, to be just deflected like water off a duck's back. Don't be sensitive to people around you. Just say: If they think like that, it's their problem. I'm going to continue to stay on course.

 

3.     Keep the focus. Don't lose sight of your end dream, what you are hoping to achieve, why you are there. Know that the work you are doing is good. Keep the focus.

 

4.     Have a very clear mindset. Determine in your own mind, accept that it's not going to be easy, that there will be opposition. Accept that the work that you are doing is important, and most importantly, picture the end. Whatever it is that you are doing, picture the end in your mind's eye. When you have that captured, it's very easy to keep that as the end goal and keep moving towards it, despite some of the things that you may be feeling.

 

I was wondering what I could leave with you in terms of an encouragement. Out of our Scriptures come these words that say that we can rejoice as well. That's an interesting concept – to rejoice in it. Why do we rejoice? Scripture says, "…for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady."

 

I don't know where you are today, my friends, and maybe you are facing ridicule, whether in the office space or in the community, or maybe even in the family. My prayer for you is that you would come through it, that you wouldn't let it, in any way, diminish who you are; that you wouldn't give up on the end goals; that you won't throw in the towel and say, "I'm done!" but today, you will just stand a little taller and say, "I'm not going to give in. I'm going to persevere through this. I'm going to allow my character to be fashioned through it. It's going to help me to trust God even more." That's my prayer for you.

 

Can I pray for you? Almighty God, on each one who reads this post, I pray your blessing. Wherever they are, if they are facing ridicule today, Lord strengthen them that they may be able to go through this time without in any way, losing sight of who they are, what they are doing and where they are going. I pray Your blessing upon them, a blessing of joy and peace, all the way through this day and through this week. I pray that their eyes would be turned to You from whence their hope and faith are made strong. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

 

•       Ray Higden, "What to do do when they say you won't make it." https://rayhigdon.com/what-to-do-when-they-say-youll-never-make-it/

•       Quote by Madeline L'Engle. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/don-t-give-up

•       Scripture quote: Romans 5:3-4 TLB. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=rom+5%3A3-4&version=TLB

 

You Can Do It

A story that I had read some time back came to mind; It's the story of a little boy who was watching a cocoon. As he kept watching, it suddenly began to shake. Intrigued, he came a little closer and sat down on his haunches and decided to see what was going on. Then a crack appeared on the cocoon as it began to shake even more. The crack widened and slowly over a period of time, he could see a little butterfly trying to get out of the cocoon. He watched it with even greater interest feeling sorry for the butterfly that seemed to be struggling to get out of the cocoon. Finally, it emerged, flapped its wings and flew away.

 

The little boy thought about that for some time and he felt sad that the butterfly had to go through so much of trouble to come out of the cocoon. So the next time he saw a cocoon, as it began to shake and the butterfly began to come out through the crack that appeared, he took the cocoon in his hand and opened it to allow the butterfly to come out easily. The butterfly flopped out and sat there, unable to fly.

 

The boy learnt a valuable lesson as his mother pointed out that one of the reasons that the butterfly has to push and flex its wings inside that cocoon to help it to emerge, is that in the process, the wings are getting stronger and stronger so that it will be able to fly. That is a valuable lesson, not only for that little boy, but for all us too. The stages of life that we are in allow for us to go through difficult times so that we are strengthened through it. Having help during that time can be detrimental to our own progress and well being in this life.

 

Sometimes we look at the adverse situations that are coming into our lives, and we try and flex our wings and get out of the situation and sometimes we give up. We wish that somebody would come and help us to come through it. The truth of the matter is that life has a way of throwing up its own situations and circumstances that make us, or want us, to fight it and work through it ourselves. That's the learning curve that we all must have in this life. Difficult situations can be fought and overcome by the things that we have inbuilt in us. I think when God made us, He did so in such a way that it is possible for us to face adverse situations, and still find the strength within us to overcome them.

 

I've been there myself. We go through difficult situations and we just sit there and hope that somebody will come alongside and lift us out and help us to overcome that situation. When things like that don't happen, we end up feeling sorry for ourselves. We maybe throw a pity party, feeling that no one cares for us and we are in this all alone. We wonder why we are in this by ourselves. Where is the help that we ought to get? But the story of the butterfly reminds me, and I thought that I could remind you as well, that God has so made us that we have inner resources to be able to handle the changing phases of life. We can call upon that inner strength because that's the way that we have been made, not for others to come and help us so that we plop out of the cocoon unable to then face life, but to be able to say, "I've come out of this stronger. My wings are stronger and now I can fly and be everything that I need to be." How important it is for us to really believe in ourselves, to know that we can do things even though we don't get any help from others. There is inner strength within us that will help us to cope. That's the way we are made, to be able to draw on the strength that we have within us to overcome situations.

 

Sometimes when we are in these adverse situations and circumstances, people may pass comments about who we are and the things we are trying to do. But the thing to do is to really look at ourselves and say, "I'm not going to take it. I know who I am. I know I'm made of better stuff. I know that I can overcome this."  Eleanor Roosevelt said this, "Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent."

 

An anonymous writer says, "It's not who you are that holds you back; it's who you think you're not."

Self-belief is so very important. What does self-belief do? It makes us act on the fact that we know who we are and we know what we can do.

 

Mark Victor Hansen says, "Your belief determines your action, and your action determines your result. But first, you have to believe." You have to believe in yourself, in your abilities, what you are able to do with yourself, your gifts, talents, the relational skills that you have and all the innovation and creativity that we have been made with. You've got to believe in yourself. Don't let the situation or the circumstance or outsiders diminish who you are. Remember that every adversity that comes is an opportunity for us to grow stronger, to learn new lessons; but never to be diminished.

 

For me, as I think about inner strength and the courage and wherewithal that we have to overcome these situations, two words in Latin are so encouraging – Imago Dei, which means 'Image of God'. Our Scriptures say that we are made in the image of God. We have those abilities. God continues to pour His creativity into our lives. He gives us our self-worth, our identity. God hasn't made any trash. He's made good things and we are part of those good things that He has made.

 

The second thought that I want to leave with you, again from the Scriptures, is that is says, "I'll never let you down; I'll never walk off and leave you." So, even as you pull on that inner strength and not try to find people who will help you, remember that you have a God who is above who is able to help you, to give you what you need to be able to come through those adverse situations.  I am not in any way saying that there aren't situations where loved ones or friends are meant to help us and we ought to take that help.  What I am saying is that sometimes it's just time for us to get off the mat, to take the oars, to pull on inner reserves and come through the situation.  And, you CAN because don't forget, God is with you!

 

 

May I pray with you? Almighty God, on each and every one who reads this post, pour out Your Spirit. Remind us that we are made in Your image, that we are good, capable, that we have the ability to do incredible things because You have put within us all of those things that You are – goodness, creativity and the ability to turn our eyes to You also, to have a good image because You have made us well and to have self-belief. Help all these wonderful qualities that You have given us to be expressed in our everyday lives. If there are some who face adverse situations, help them to find that inner strength, that second wind to come out of it. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

 

•       Quotes by Eleanor Roosevelt, Anonymous & Mark Victor Hansen: https://howiemahere.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/believe-in-yourself/

•       Scripture reference: The Bible Hebrews 13:5

 

Swoosh!

I learnt something new about Nike today while I was reading through Phil Knight's book. Phil Knight is the creator of Nike and his book 'Shoe Dog' is one that I would recommend for any library. As he talks about getting Nike out and the logo that we've all come to recognize, he gets to a time when it was just happening and they were in the National Sporting Goods Association show that took place every year in Chicago where all kinds of sporting goods were on display. Sales reps from across the nation were there, booking their orders; you either made it or you didn't.

 

Phil Knight talks about realizing that the shoe hadn't really come out well and the logo didn't look right. They were in the doldrums when a bunch of salesmen walked towards their booth, picked up the Nike's and held them to the light. They then touched the logo and one of them said, "What is this?" They had a barrage of questions: What is Nike? It's the Greek goddess of victory. And so on! I learnt that the tick mark that we see in the logo is a swoosh. They asked, "What's a swoosh?" Phil Knight answered, "It's the sound of someone going past you."

 

This captured my imagination for a minute. It took me away from branding and all of that to just the idea of somebody going past you. I know that I've been in that place. I remember when I was just finishing high school and I was on the track relay team. I was the third person on that team and when I got the baton, I ran for dear life as fast as I could. Then I felt the earth pounding next to me and realized that there was somebody who was catching up with me, passing me. Try as hard as I could, I couldn't increase my speed and this person just passed me by.

 

Swoosh! There are times in our lives when we can do nothing, absolutely nothing, about somebody passing us by. Translate that into our lives, maybe 15 or 20 years down the road, and look at ourselves in the workplace doing something and we realize that we are in a place where people are passing us by. The one thing I realized in that race was that I didn't have anything to give to increase the pace at which I was running. That race put paid to my venture into athletics. I realized that I didn't have what it took – the necessary interest maybe to get out and practice – and so I decided that athletics was not my thing.

 

But, thinking about it today, I realized that you and I can get into that same feeling where we are doing what we do, and yet there is a swoosh that passes us by, people who are going past us. It's not a very comforting feeling. You are doing everything that you can and yet you are getting passed by. These months, February, March and April, are the months where we really begin to think about where we are and what we need to do and whether we are in the place that we ought to be in.

 

Liz Ryan writing in Forbes talks about the "Five Unmistakable Signs It's Time To Change Jobs" that I thought made sense. She says:

 

1.     You're working on a big project at work and it's stressful. You wake up in the middle of the night worried about the work on your desk. When you finish this gnarly project, another one is right behind you. These projects stress you out but they don't grow your flame. (I like that line). Are they really the best use of your time and talents? (Good question to ask)

 

2.     You see no opportunity for advancement in your company, no matter how you try to stretch your job description and show your managers what you're capable of.

 

3.     When you walk into your workplace every day, you adopt a persona that you would never take on when you're with your real friends. You can't be yourself at work – they wouldn't like it if you did.

 

4.     You look forward to weekends but on the weekends, you stress about work and even go into the office to get a few things done before Monday.

 

5.     You dread going to work on Monday morning.

 

Signs she feels, it's time to change jobs! Sometimes we get into a rut and think – I really can't do this. I should be moving maybe, but I'm scared. Is this the time? Do I have the resources? We then stay where we are.

 

Rick Gillespie-Mobley writing in an article, "It's Time For A Change" talks about a guy who used to live around Mt. St. Helens for almost his entire life. One day a geologist came to him and said, "This place is a dangerous place because according to the records, Mt. St. Helens is an active volcano and could erupt at any moment and destroy everything for miles around." This man said, "I've been on the mountain for years, and no little rumbling in the ground is about to scare me off. I've heard the rumblings a long time before and nothing's happened. I appreciate your concern, but I'll be staying put." On May 18th, 1980, Mt. Helens exploded with such a force that it blacked out the sun for many cities in the west, and this person was never seen or heard from again.

 

Sometimes, that's what can happen to us. If we stay on in a place from where we ought to move, then we become redundant and become part of history. Change is often difficult for us. It brings up a lot of fear and anxiety. Can we do it? Do we have the wherewithal? This past week, our singing group, the choir, sang this song and it reminded me that we are never alone in these situations. When the waves seem to be coming upon us, there's one person who can still the waves. The words of this song were so rich. It goes like this:

 

                  The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will,

                  Peace, be still; peace, be still.

                  Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea,

                  Or demons, or men, or whatever it be,

                  No water can swallow the ship where lies

                  The Master of ocean and earth and skies;

                  They all shall sweetly obey Thy will!

                  Peace! Peace! Be still!

 

Today, the waves and the sound of the tempest can be in your own mind and it might be comforting to know that with God in the boat with us, that one word from Him can still those storms in our lives and help us to think cogently and intelligently about what our options are. Don't let the swoosh happen to you. Think about whether you are in the right place doing the right thing, and whether it's time for you to take the reins in your own hand and chart your own course. May Almighty God give each one of us the wisdom to do what is right.

 

May I pray with you? Almighty God, bless each person on this call. Remind us that You are with us and that You will give us the wisdom we need to make right decisions. Not only that, but that You will empower us. You will show us where to look, what to do, how to act, and that You can quiet the storms in our lives, the flutter in our hearts and bring a semblance of sanity through all of this. Help us to take the right decisions. I pray a blessing of wisdom on each one reading this post and pray this prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

•       Phil Knight, "Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike." http://www.amazon.in/Shoe-Dog-Memoir-Creator-Nike/dp/1501135910

•       Liz Ryan, "Five Unmistakable Signs It's Time To Change Jobs." https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2017/01/23/five-unmistakable-signs-its-time-to-change-jobs/#61a6128b25dc

•       Rick Gillespie-Mobley, It's Time for a Change." https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/its-time-for-a-change-rick-gillespie-mobley-sermon-on-doubt-87095

•       Mary Ann Baker, "Peace! Be Still!" http://www.hymnary.org/text/master_the_tempest_is_raging